Portland Mercury

Studio Blue: The Best Pilates... in the USA?

Marjorie Skinner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:59:00 -0700

In March, Shape magazine published a big "best-of" feature in which they canvassed the country's various gyms and other workout-related businesses to determine the "best" in each category. There was only one winner from Portland: Studio Blue, which was christened the best studio for "Pilates powerhouses." Naturally, I had to see what the hype is about, so click over for the rundown on one of the most diverse studio experiences ever listed under the term "Pilates."

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Studio Blue: The Best Pilates... in the USA?

Marjorie Skinner — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:59:00 -0700

In March, Shape magazine published a big "best-of" feature in which they canvassed the country's various gyms and other workout-related businesses to determine the "best" in each category. There was only one winner from Portland: Studio Blue, which was christened the best studio for "Pilates powerhouses." Naturally, I had to see what the hype was about, so I signed up to take a month of classes.

It was perfect timing, actually. At the beginning of that month I'd suddenly—and with surprising severity—injured my knee running, just as I was about swing into full-on Spring fitness mode, and I was crushed and frustrated. I tend to gravitate toward harder core sweat workouts like long-distance running, boxing, and circuit training. I like a bit of Bikram during the winter months, but in general think of Pilates and yoga as too sleepy. That said, there's a perceptible improvement in core strength whenever I do it, which makes you stronger in whatever other activities you're engaged in.

After being completely benched for a month, I started at Studio Blue, which also works quite a bit with people recovering from injuries and chronic pain stemming from imbalances in posture and alignment. The studio, on the second floor across from the Mission Theater, is well appointed with nice lighting, bright wood floors, and a cozy lobby with complimentary water, tea, and reading materials.

I started out easy, with mellow, more yoga-centric classic like Exhale Pilates, gradually working up to higher-impact courses, like a Bosu-fitness ball combo class, Pilates Sculpt, and TRX Suspension Training. I never took the same class twice, and there are still plenty of things I haven't tried, like a class devoted to rolling around on a tennis ball, squidging out all those hard-to-reach tight spots—something sports massage therapists have been telling me to do for years. They also have several levels of classes devoted to springboards, which are strictly for the healthiest of knees:

"Our goal is to make sure that every person who comes through our door is acknowledged and treated as a unique individual, and to interact with them on a personal level," says Joanne Connerty, who co-owns the studio with Dan Walton. "We think of Studio Blue as our clients' 'third place.' It's kind of like what the corner tavern was for my dad. Most people have their first place, home, and second place, work, and we are their third place—a place where they can relax and be themselves, feel comfortable and acknowledged, and socialize."

In fact the studio hosts twice-yearly customer appreciation parties replete with cases of champagne, catering, music, and a photo booth. "I don't know of any other studio that does that," says Connerty, and neither do I.

Interesting, Walton, who took Connerty on as a partner after having founded the Studio with another instructor, didn't come from a fitness background. Originally from Connecticut, he occasionally hiked an grew up with a yoga instructor mother, but didn't really get into it until after moving Portland to pursue a career in restaurant management and wound up trying out a Pilates class with a friend on whim. He got hooked on the challenge and started going twice a week. Likewise, Connerty wandered into the practice while living in Philadelphia and never having worked out regularly, but it got her attention when she dropped two pants sizes.

Walton notes that Pilates, for him, was something of a gateway to exercise in general (he loves running too, and felt my pain, having been out with a case of shinsplints himself), which eventually evolved into the diversity of unique classes being offered at the studio. Many of the instructors have multiple certifications, and Walton and Connerty let them be creative in inventing classes that suit their own interests. It's awesome for people (like me) who can get bored doing the same thing every week, and it affords the opportunity to sample a broad range of approaches and decide what suits your goals and attention best.

And if you do happened to be injured or out of whack, the Studio has relationships with physical therapists who send them in to continue their recovery "homework," particularly on the reformer machines (pictured at top) which "Brings your body back to its natural posture," says Walton. Connerty concurs: "You’re on a parallel plane, and it forces you to work both sides evenly." And, of course, it does so without putting any pressure whatsover on your all-important joints. It's great for athletes or anyone who does a lot of asymmetrical motion on a regular basis (golfers, guitarists). Because your body moves symbiotically, a bum knee can start to put your hip out of whack, your ankle, your back, leading to more complicated problems and pain sources.

Now that the inflammation is down in my knee, I can go back to running and lunging and all the rest of my favorite quad irritants. But I'm starting with Studio Blue's "Booty Camp" (nope, not embarrassed), a three-day-a-week, three week accelerated program to whip your summer ass into shape. Given what I've seen so far, I'm expecting (perhaps erroneously) a Pilates-inflected (and therefore less brutal) take on the harsher boot-camp scene. Stay tuned for the results!

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That New Blouse Looks Great on You

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:44:59 -0700

Portland haze-synth-rock-wave band Blouse (Christ, I should never be asked to describe a band ever) have announced their second album. It's called Imperium and it's out on September 17 on Captured Tracks. That's the album cover up there (proposed alternate title: Bust-ed... get it??... hello??), and I'll post the track list after the jump.

For the 10 songs of Imperium, as the press release says, "the Portland trio discarded the synths and unplugged their instruments, translating into a more upfront and assertive Blouse." You can hear that new approach in the strumming of the new single, "No Shelter," which starts off sounding like a casual demo before building into an intriguing, if slightly unsettling production, bearing a sense of tensely potential freedom, like a tethered hot air balloon pulling forcefully against creaking ropes. Unlike the first Blouse album, there are no drum machines or "instruments that plug into the wall" on Imperium. Apparently there was construction going on next door to the studio while they were recording, and while we're spared the 34-minute sonic experimental track "Excruciating Sound of Power Drill through a Muffled Wall," it does seem like that element of flux and transformation lent itself to the record.

Listen to "No Shelter," why don't you?

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That New Blouse Looks Great on You

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:40:13 -0700

Listen to "No Shelter," why don't you?

Blouse - Imperium

1. Imperium
2. Eyesite
3. 1000 Years
4. In a Glass
5. Capote
6. A Feeling Like This
7. No Shelter
8. Happy Days
9. Arrested
10. Trust Me

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Idaho Republicans Are Trying to Take Back Their Right to Discriminate Against Gays

Paul Constant — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:29:34 -0700

The Spokesman-Review says:

Idaho Republican Party leaders are calling on the state Legislature to invalidate local city ordinances that ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation - like the one Coeur d’Alene passed after an emotional community debate just two weeks ago.

Six Idaho cities have passed such non-discrimination ordinances in the past year and a half, and a seventh, Idaho Falls, is looking into one now; the Idaho GOP wants them halted.

I'm trying to picture the kind of a person who wakes up in the morning and says to himself, "Today's the day! I'm finally gonna take a stand against those anti-discrimination laws!" How do you think that thought and not realize how monstrous your behavior is?

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Tonight in Music: There Is No Mountain, CSS, Mattress

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:25:02 -0700

THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN, SIREN AND THE SEA, SAM COOPER
(Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi) Read our article on There Is No Mountain.

CSS, MS MR, IO ECHO
(Lola's Room, 1332 W Burnside) Straight outta São Paulo come CSS—an abbrev for "I'm tired of being sexy" in Portuguese, taken from a Beyoncé quote. "Tired" is not a word you would otherwise associate with this all-women blast of beat-centric, electrified freak party music. Wear them bouncin' shoes. MARJORIE SKINNER

Fuck the Future by Mattress

MATTRESS, XDS, SWAHILI, GRAPEFRUIT
(Holocene, 1001 SE Morrison) Portland one-man psychiatric pop progenitor Mattress' latest six-song cassette is called Fuck the Future, although it's less a dystopian look forward than it is simply a statement to live in the now. And while the man behind the curtain, Rex Marshall, seems to draw influence from both the future and the past, his dark synth hymns are very much embedded in the present. The EP's first track, "Beautiful Moment," sounds like someone confessing to doing wrong, but still relishing the experience. In fact, there seems to be an underlying bright side in all this darkness, but that doesn't mean Mattress won't keep you up at night contemplating your own future. MARK LORE

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One State Employee is Guilty of a "Minor" Fluoridated Transgression

Dirk VanderHart — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:14:12 -0700

Fluoride's resounding defeat in Portland is nearly a month behind us, but controversy around the most-contentious vote in Portland's memory lingers—sort of.

The Oregon Health Authority has found in an internal investigation [PDF] one of its employees committed a "minor violation" of the state's acceptable use policy in the run-up to the vote, when she used her state e-mail account to arrange to give out pro-fluoride signs.

But employee Laurie Johnson, a program coordinator in the Oral Health Unit, didn't ultimately distribute the signs, the report found, and pulled back when she realized the communication "may be crossing boundaries."

"Based on the Agency's review and consultation with (the Oregon Department of Justice), we have determined the email exchange was a minor violation of the Acceptable Use Policy," the report states. The cited policy prohibits state employees from using state computers and accounts for political purposes.

The violation was the only finding of wrong-doing in an investigation that—at the urging of fluoride opponents and spurred by news reports—sought to determine whether there was credibility to concerns about the OHA's treatment of the fluoride debate. Specifically, anti-fluoride political action committee Clean Water Portland suggested OHA workers purposefully delayed a report showing the dental health of children had improved, and had inappropriate communications with pro-fluoride campaigners.

OHA Director Bruce Goldberg initiated the investigation in May.

But in a review of hundreds of emails and interviews with top health officials, investigators turned up little evidence of foul play. In the case of the 2012 Oregon Smile Survey—a periodic assessment of schoolchildren's dental health that turned into a political weapon in recent months—questions turned to whether the OHA had inappropriately delayed release of data that showed decreased cavities. The findings were anticipated early this year, but the OHA didn't release them until late April.

According to the investigation, that was actually a shorter timeline than previous Smile Surveys had operated under. The report quotes outgoing Public Health Director Mel Kohn, who said the last survey, in 2007, took seven months to release after all data were collected. For 2012's survey, that would have meant a June release date.

Opponents also took issue with e-mails indicating OHA officials met with pro-fluoride lobbyists at Upstream Public Health prior to the report's release, and the complaint of staffer Shanie Mason she was getting "a ton of pressure from advocates like Upstream Public Health that have very specific ideas about how we should present out information."

But Mason added: "Unfortunately for them I'm committed to maintaining the integrity of our work."

None of this rose to the level of malfeasance, according to investigator Angela Young, who wrote: "It is not uncommon for state government officials to meet with special interest groups; therefore it is not extraordinary that Public Health leadership met with Upstream Public Health. In my interviews with both Dr. Kohn and Ms. Mason they indicated Upstream Public Health was the only special interest group that had requested to meet with them regarding the survey."

Which leaves the matter of Johnson. According to the report, the woman was contacted by a dental hygienist she worked with, and asked whether she could provide pro-fluoride yard signs.

According to a report on the exchange, Johnson wrote: "I have 3 of them in my car. Could you distribute them if I deliver them to you?"

Her interlocutor replied: "I could have my husband swing by today or tomorrow after he gets off work at 3:45 p.m. ... if that would work."

But the exchange never took place. According to the OHA report, Johnson realized the conversation could be inappropriate, and texted from her personal cell phone: "I am unable to do fluoridation stuff from work. Hence this text. I don't have the signs close by today. I can drop them off on your porch next weekend."

Investigators concluded Johnson's communication violated the acceptable use policy, but not Oregon statutes or the federal Hatch Act, which prohibits public employees from exerting political influence or running for office.

The fallout from the investigation? Not much:

The Agency believes that confirming the expectations to the employee is appropriate, reaffirming what she already acknowledged in our meeting. The Agency is also committed to creating and implementing a communication strategy to ensure education for all employees, including prohibited activities when policy activity is occurring.

There's no sign the Oregon DOJ has begun an investigation, which fluoride opponents had called for. A call to Clean Water Portland leader Kim Kaminski hasn't been returned.

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Lecturing Tonight: Natalie Sept and Israel Bayer, Creators of The Dishwasher Project

Matt Stangel — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:11:10 -0700

Stop by the Falcon Art Community tonight at 6pm for the inaugural installment of the live-work community's Wednesday Night Lecture Series ($10 suggested donation, 5415 N. Albina Ave).

Tonight's lecture will feature painter and Falcon Art Community member Natalie Sept, alongside photographer Israel Bayer, who Sept teamed up with to produce The Dishwasher Project— a series of paintings and photographs that document Portland's dishwashers. (Details on that project, right here.)

Apart from their shared art endeavors, Sept and Bayer are an interesting pair: By day, Sept works as a district representative for Congresswoman Bonamici; Bayer, as the executive director of Street Roots. While there's no official connection between The Dishwasher Project and the professional posts held by the project's creators, the duo's dedication to giving voice to the unheard is evident across their creative, personal, and professional lives. They work all day to help people, and then they punch out only to keep fighting the good fight. A very tall, sincere stack of gold stars goes to them.

For a brief overview of The Dishwasher Project, check out this piece we ran a few weeks back, and if you're curious about the mechanics of the project— how Sept and Bayer went about gaining access to kitchens, selecting subjects, conducting interviews, etc.— drop by the Falcon Art Community tonight and hear the full story.

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Ron Swanson is Axe Cop. Because of Course He's Axe Cop.

Bobby Roberts — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:59:00 -0700

People who like awesome stuff were already aware that Fox is producing an animated series based on the best thing the human mind has ever, and likely will ever concieve: Axe Cop, a comic created by a five year-old, drawn by his 29 year-old older brother, starring a mustachioed titan of masculinity who dispenses hickory-handled justice upon those who do evil, like Pretzelhead, the Vampire Man-Baby Kid, and Mr. Doo-Doo.

Today, thanks to contractual obligations clearing themselves up, Fox was able to announce that yes, showrunner Nick Weidenfeld (Children's Hospital) made the only acceptable choice to voice Axe Cop; Ron Swanson himself, Nick Offerman.

But that's not the only bit of good news. Over on the Axe Blog, co-creator Ethan Nicolle broke down the rest of the cast, which includes some of alternative comedy's best (Patton Oswalt, Ken Marino, Peter Serafinowicz, Rob Heubel); alongside some serious heavy hitters, like Breaking Bad's Gus Fring and Mike Ehrmantraut (Giancarlo Esposito and Jonathan Banks) Mad Men's Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser), and finally, Michael Fucking Madsen.

The best animated show television will ever behold premieres July 27th, 11pm, on Fox.

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Nathan Fillion: “Stupid People Don't Know that They Are Stupid”

Alison Hallett — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:29:00 -0700

For this week's film section, I interviewed Nathan Fillion about his performance as the bumbling, self-important lawman Dogberry in the new Joss Whedon-directed adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing. He said something great when I asked him what informed his character:

“Stupid people don't know that they are stupid. Stupid people think that they're the smartest guy in the room. So I learned that that's very important, to play smart. The smarter you can play it, the funnier and more stupid you can come off. So I just focused on trying to be smart, and letting vanity play a large role in how Dogberry behaves.”

That brought to mind a fascinating multi-part blog series that Errol Morris did for the New York Times called "The Anosognosic’s Dilemma: Something’s Wrong but You’ll Never Know What It Is." In the first post of the series, Morris introduces something called the Dunning-Kruger Effect, which is explained in the article by Cornell professor David Dunning:

[W]hen you’re incompetent, the skills you need to produce a right answer are exactly the skills you need to recognize what a right answer is. In logical reasoning, in parenting, in management, problem solving, the skills you use to produce the right answer are exactly the same skills you use to evaluate the answer.

In other words, "our incompetence masks our ability to recognize our incompetence." This concept has basically haunted me since reading Morris' post; I'm glad, at least, that Fillion was able to apply it to such good comedic use in Much Ado.

(Much Ado is perfectly fine and fun, btw. Don't let people tell you it's the best Shakespeare adaptation ever made—they are only saying that because Joss Whedon touched it—but it is a perfectly charming and enjoyable little movie. My writeup will be online later today, with more of my interview w/Fillion.)

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Amazing Spider-Man 3 Bogarts the Mary-Jane

Bobby Roberts — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:45:00 -0700

Actress Shailene Woodley discovered firsthand what a cordial and welcoming place the internet can be when on-set pictures of her as Mary-Jane Watson in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hit back in February. And if having legions of pindicks projectile vomiting their facile opinions about her looks everywhere wasn't bad enough, today she learned that she endured the firehose stream of liquefied asshattery for nothing, as Marc Webb announced her character is being excised from the movie, and bumped to the sequel.

Superficial Spider-Fans excited that this might be step one towards the role being recast were immediately served a steaming plate of "Tough shit"; Woodley is not going anywhere. Which is very likely for the better, because last time Spider-Fans got this pissed off, it was about the mere concept of Spider-Man being black, which ended up not only becoming a reality, but (surprise) one of the best written realities in all of Superhero comics.

More level-headed Spider-Fans consumed the news in a different way, speculating on how The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will now play, and how the next two films in the series will proceed from there, with Dave Gonzales of Latino Review breaking down the idea that this announcement starts locking in place the puzzle pieces needed to build a Sinister Six trilogy.

Which could be pretty fucking awesome, so long as audiences haven't become exhausted by the nonstop onslaught of Superheroes wrecking shit at the multiplex by then.

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Local DJ Recommends Show That He Is Playing

Ned Lannamann — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:35:53 -0700

From this week's WW: A preview of Friday's Zirakzigil show, written (without a disclaimer) by someone who's on the bill: Nathan Carson, AKA DJ Nate C.

He recommends it!

(Note: I agree with Carson about Zirakzigil. They are fun.)

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Dear Dad

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:35:00 -0700

"Father"

The S&P 500 is a stock market index that is commonly used to judge how well and how poorly the market and the U.S. economy have performed. Since we didn't get child support growing up, I will consider that money as good as being saved and invested. I have calculated how much is owed between 1979 and 2013.

Child support payments were $150 per month between July 1979-July 1997 (not factoring increases in cost of living). Starting with the first payment and ending with the last payment all monthly payments shall be contributed to an index fund based off the S&P 500.

Between 1979-1997, the annualized return between those years is 17% for a total of $213,566.00. Since I still didn’t get to spend that money on a new truck, college, or a down payment on a condo, I’ll consider it as still in the market collecting compound interest. Between the years 1997 to 2013 the annualized return is 4.47%. $213,566.00 compounding between 1997 and 2013 would increase to $417,047.53.

These calculations are basic compound formulas and the annualized returns of the S&P 500 are widely considered what one should at least beat in their portfolio or it’s time to find a new money manager. The average is taken right off of the S&P 500’s own charts and is easily accessible by the anyone with a computer.

Regards,

"Son"

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Tonight in Music

Courtney Ferguson — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:14:37 -0700

Revival Drum Shop–Fiasco, Wishyunu, 8 pm, $5-15, all ages
Aladdin Theater–James McMurtry, Denver, 8 pm, $18-20
Al's Den–Casey Neill, 7 pm, free
Holocene–Mattress, XDS, Swahili, Grapefruit, 8:30 pm, $5
Lola's Room–CSS, MS MR, Io Echo, 8 pm, $22.50, all ages
Mississippi Studios–There is No Mountain, Siren & the Sea, Sam Cooper, 9 pm, $6-8
Wonder Ballroom–The Dandy Warhols, The Shivas, 8:30 pm, $22-25, all ages

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Parashoot 12B

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:12:00 -0700

You used too much juice and now I am stuck in the middle of 2013, instead of early 2019. Subject is not yet at target age. Swoop me and lets do this again. And bring me something to eat. They are still eating nanobots here.

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Chatum Deserves Better Than This

Bobby Roberts — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:45:00 -0700

Erik Henriksen is out today, so as the office's Chatum Tot #2, it falls to me to blog about Jimmy Kimmel's latest bit of business, a music video called "Channing All Over My Tatum," featuring Jamie Foxx, Channing Tatum, Gabourey Sidibe, and Miley Cyrus. It goes a little something like this:

It's a fine attempt, but it doesn't really work. Mostly because (and I'm sure Erik would agree with me) there's too much stuff that isn't Chatum. And when there is Chatum, he isn't being his charming, suave, ridiculously handsome self. He's being a weird caricature of himself. Jamie Foxx is being Willie Beaman from Any Given Sunday, and that's cool—

—but when Chatum is on screen, I want CHATUM. RAW. UNCUT. THUMB-HEADED LIP-LICKING VAGUELY CONFUSED-LOOKING CHANNING FUCKING TATUM.

Instead I got Jimmy Kimmel making a jizz joke about his mom and Miley Cyrus eating some skittles. Eh. Whatever. Your mileage may vary.

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SL Letter of the Day: Let Me Think...

Dan Savage — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:29:00 -0700

I am a bisexual woman in my early 30s and am currently in a monogamous relationship with a wonderful woman with whom I am living together. I love her very much and although we have been dating for less than a year, I am pretty convinced that I want to be married to her.

Our sex life is great—quite vanilla (especially compared to the kind of letters you receive) but nonetheless, deeply satisfying. However, there is one problem: sometimes when I am on the edge of getting an orgasm, I think of gay men having sex. Specifically, I think of myself as a gay man f*cking another guy in the ass. And that, without fail, will make me come. I have never thought of myself as a man or have any intentions to be one. I also have no desire to sleep with anyone but her. I recall you mentioned before that we are all free to think of what we like when having sex, but this is really bothering me. Am I cheating on my partner by thinking of something/someone else, other than her, when I am getting laid by her?

Gay Sex Is Hot

My response after the jump...

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Nope.

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This Week in Sex

Rose Finn — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:14:00 -0700

In greedy douchebag news, a Christian school in Nebraska is not only expelling a student for being in a lesbian relationship mere months away from her graduation, but is now also charging her the $6,000 tuition that was due the semester she was expelled. Before being slapped with a bill, Grace University made Danielle Powell see Christian mentors, engage with spiritual advisers, and promise not to engage in sex. Powell was not aware that the people running her school were virgin Dungeons and Dragon masters that still lived with their mothers and needed more money to buy lube and light sabers.

Porn star “Stoya Fleshlight” talked to Huff Post this week about how she’s “ruined porn for her dad.” Now when he goes online to whack off to porn, it’s nearly inevitable that he’ll run into some pop-up ad of a sex toy modeled after his daughter’s vagina. This, apparently, also applies the other way around; any time Stoya is acting in a porn scene, she is vividly reminded of the months of neglect her father used to bestow upon her.

The house judiciary committee has advanced a bill this week that would outlaw abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. When one Democrat asked how the policy would apply with instances of rape, GOP Arizona representative Trent Franks said occurrences of pregnancy from rape were “actually very low.” “I’ll show you ‘low,’” said millions of American women, readying their fists.

Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” has quickly become the number one song in the country, and its music video has been sparking all kinds of controversy. The video consists of Robin Thicke’s beady little eyes staring at us, wearing a full suit (alongside T.I. and Pharrell) while models prance around appearing nude, like a bunch of anorexic babies. Meanwhile, balloons float through the music video at one point, saying, “Robin Thicke has a big dick.” “Oy vey, he wishes,” sighed Robin Thicke’s mother.

George Boak, a spiritual healer in the UK, has been charged with sexually abusing two women, with a third accusing him of the same charge during his trial. George Boak was known to heal physical pain, but in the instances of sexual abuse, he asked the women to take off their clothes, and touched them inappropriately. When one victim asked what he was doing, he reportedly responded, “sorry, I got carried away.” Incidentally, Boak has also “gotten carried away” with his hand, his Starbucks barista, his grade 8 math teacher, and one particularly uncomfortable instance with his single-speed Schwinn bicycle.

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Less Than a Quarter of Americans Have Confidence in Newspapers

Eli Sanders — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:59:00 -0700

The low number comes via the Gallup poll, which says exactly 23 percent of Americans think newspapers are worth trusting.

But newspapers don't stand alone. Confidence in television news has also been slipping — it's tied with newspapers this year at 23 percent, which is slightly up from last year's all-time low of 21 percent. Newspapers and television news rank near the bottom of a list of 16 "societal institutions," according to the report. The only institutions television news and newspapers beat out this year are big business, organized labor, health maintenance organizations and Congress. Americans expressed the most confidence in the military, at 76 percent, and small businesses, at 65 percent.

Well. We can't exactly recreate this poll, but we can ask the question this way:

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A New Trailer for Anchorman 2! :D

Erik Henriksen — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:44:00 -0700

I think we can all agree that this—and I do not offer such praise lightly—is the second-best thing that has ever been set to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'."

Good day.

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Summer Style in the Pearl

Toby Robboy — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:32:00 -0700

This summer is turning out to be a full season of fashion events, and the latest one to be announced taps into the current trend of runway presentations that feature retailers rather than individual designers. Summer Style at the Pearl, which takes place the weekend of July 12th at Pure Space, will showcase some of the neighborhood's strongest retail forces, with Mabel & Zora, Garnish, Silkwood, EcoVibe, Flairwalk, Vintalier and Lexi Dog (awww) showing on Friday night; and Eden, Folly, Leanna NYC, Lizard Lounge, EG Page and Physical Element showing on Saturday. And if you like what you see on the runway, everything will be available for purchase at the on-sight pop up shop to be set up after the show. Also! A portion of proceeds will benefit Go Red for Women, and there will be supporters of the cause appearing as guest models in the show each night. RSVP and get full details here, and order tickets here.

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Good Morning, News!

Wm.™ Steven Humphrey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:28:00 -0700

GOOD MORNING, BLOGTOWN! How would you like to fly? That's how my queen should ride. But you still deserve the crown or hasn't it been found? LET'S GO TO PRESS.

The Taliban has set up a makeshift embassy in Qatar, scuttling peace talks with Afghanistan who is super pissed at them AND the US military.

The FBI has been found innocent in 150 shootings over the last two decades. (Hey, who does that remind you of?)

Iceland is in informal talks with NSA leaker Edward Snowden over a possible asylum deal. UGH! Iceland? Take your chances with America, Edward!

German Chancellor Merkel challenges President Obama on America's snoopy investigations on private citizens, and Obama's all like, "Well, those investigations stopped terrorist attacks on German soil, so boom! Comments closed!"

Obama calls on Russia to join him in slashing their nuclear weaponry, and they're like, "Well let us think about it for a secNO."

This just in: the body of Jimmy Hoffa is still missing! Stay tuned for more non-news about things that have not been found.

The Men's Wearhouse spokesman (the "I guarantee it!" guy) has been fired and nobody knows why. (The Mercury would totally hire him... if we could only find something we could "guarantee" other than mediocrity.)

Buzzfeed reporter Michael Hastings (whose reporting led to the retirement of Gen. Stanley McChrystal) has died in a car crash.

Yodeling country & western star Slim Whitman dies at the age of 90.

Katy Perry divulges that former hubby Russell Brand divorced her via text message. YOU MONSTER!!!

Now here's what's going on in your neck of the woods: Showers this afternoon, a somewhat dry weekend, and rainy rain early next week!

And finally, walking internet meme "Double Rainbow Guy" returns and this time he's being overly enthusiastic about forest fires. (Will Oklahoma tornadoes be next?)

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Change and Tradition at OBT

Jenna Lechner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:59:51 -0700

Oregon Ballet Theatre capped their season with big news. Several OBT dancers are retiring; Anne Mueller has stepped down as the company’s interim artistic director—Kevin Irving was named the new artistic director earlier in June, and the search continues for an executive director. This weekend was the final performance of the season; they rounded out their season this year with the program Celebrating Balanchine.

The show was both rich and technical, honoring the 20th century choreorapher George Balanchine on the 30th anniversary of his death. OBT added the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son to their repertoire. The piece comes from Balanchine's early years, from his studies with the notorious Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes; the set is vivid and bold, with scenes of feasts and dramatic skies; the dancing is feverish and exciting, with an incredible and convincing performance by Chauncey Parsons as the wayward Prodigal Son. Parsons runs up an angled table, then slides down it; the piece is punctuated by intense acrobatic moves that string together the narrative of the boy's descent into debauchery. The show began however with a lithe, precise performance of Balanchine’s "Square Dance," deemed an “audience favorite,” and ended on a soft note, with "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" and impressive grace.

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New Die Antwoord Video: Yo-Landi's Ass Edition

Marjorie Skinner — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:44:00 -0700

The latest Die Antwoord music video dropped today, for "Cookie Jumper," in case you missed your daily WTF.

This honestly seems like the most normal thing they've ever done. Yo-Landi infantilizing herself is kind of business as usual, and I only counted three cats in this entire video, which hurts their overall average of animal usage significantly. However, as always, there is something of a teaching moment in the opening skit, where we're delivered a little hint about South Africa's "Numbers" gang, whose mythology is impressively intricate. There's also a cameo-in-tattoo of the Cape Town Americans. Otherwise it's just kind of a rape fantasy jam that features some really nice crocheted bras.

Are we bored of them yet? I think I am, although I will say that their show at the Roseland last time they were in town was about 10 times as fun

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It's Happening Tonight!

Alison Hallett — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:29:00 -0700

MUSIC—The Memories' gorgeous druggy offerings slide and chime their way to the two-minute mark before losing interest and moving on. It makes them an oddly compelling act and perfect centerpiece for the Woolen Men's perfectly crafted lo-fi and Sauna's giggling surf-pop. AR
Record Room, 8 NE Killingsworth, 8 pm, $5

FILM—The granddaddy of all superheroes has had a spotty record when it comes to movies, but Man of Steel just might be the movie of the summer. Starring some dude from The Tudors as Superman—alongside Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Laurence Fishburne, and Kevin Motherfucking Costner—Zack Snyder's reboot is ambitious, grandiose, and a whole lot of fun. EH
Roseway Theater, 7229 NE Sandy, see Film Times, $7

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